Spline-feeding hopper and stacker



' March so, 1926.

E. s. DA NIELS mans FEEDING HOPPER AND s'rAcKER Filed Jan. 13. 1925' ,5 sheets-she 1 4 I 1,578,404 E. S. DANIELS.

sniuz FEEDING gonna AND sucxnx' l d Jan 13 19 25 3 Sheets-Sheep 2 V 9 IUH v Q o 0 ll 5 I8 I II W u I-l WEE nest Stuart Daniels Maren ,30

;S. DANIELS Fiied Jan is. 1925 j stun FEEDING HOPPER AIN'DA STACIiER .s sn ets-snaqt 5 Patented Mar -3Q 192 I p 1 I i UNITED ERNEST STUART DANIELS, of wAsnmemiv; m siimozr 'oi' COLUMBIA;

S INE-1 12 111315105 Ho'PPER mnsmcxm l 'hfp'plicat idn me'a Janna-iv 13;. {l9EZ QI SeriaI N-Q 2, 177;

TozaZliw'homez't may comem: V v accompanying drawings,- which jam. t he I Be'it known that I, ERNEST STUART: DAN taken asifapart of this "specification and then IELS, a subie'ct of the Kingof Englandgvre 'f-pointed out in thecleiins at the'end' of the siding at lVashington, lIl-l'lie Districfiof-Codescription .i 1' p v p 5 lumbia, have invented certain new nduse, In saiddi'awings, l 'isa' perspective ful Improvementsin SpIineTFeedingJ HopvieW'of aigfooving a'i'id-strip inseiting ine persand Stacl:ers;-=and I dohereby declere chine s'howingacooperan'tly opposed pair of the follOwingQto he afull,,cleaiyand' exgict my impi ofvedfeeding' hoppers properlydescription of the" inventi'0n;-:such as-iwlll mounted n; pla'cethei'eon} p oo' enable'others skilled in the arfi to-which it V 2'1sa+pl'an View;of the fight hand I The invention will lo'efii'stliereiii'after moife withlhehfdepentling ree ex appe'i'tuins to make anduse thesainei ,i hopper; I i i -This invention relatesto automatic feed-z-f Fig; 3i's a Qentiz' l sectional; eleVatioi'T-o'f ing; devices and more particularly to hepsaidhopper taken011tlielii1e'3e-3 of Fig.2, pets for orderly:arranging, stackingand dea number of shooksfor splines 'being'section 6:; liveringidiffeienterlicles ateiidesire'd point all}? sl1'o'Wn,tl1e'1'ei11-;' v of discharge foncollective removal o'r suo' 1 Fig; 4C isn front elevational viewefthe cessive feeding; therefionn;ithe"semebeing leftha'nd hop e end; 1 p applicable to various uses although designed v Fig; 5 is an end sectional elevation thereci", espe'ciallyvfor use on machines of. the chartaken on the line 5;510Fig, 2;. w 7o acter shown and described'in' my Patent No. Refeuring'to the di' awi'ngs in which like 1,491,679 granted 'Ap'ril 22,1924yfon inireference nl'uneials are'usecl to indicajte'corv pi'oveinents in automatic trimming groov responding pants throughout,the' several my; end strip-inserting machines. YieW's, 6 and 7 respectively den'ot'e'the' pedtoinatically operable device oi hopper' for nflfiQ giOovillgi and S rip -lng' 111a? V properly arranging, stackingl and discharg 1 ,111 0' 1 0l O p $pline {feeding ing aiiticles whicli are irregularlydeposited; hopp l s; embody ng "the )ie'se'n't -invenfcien, therein or supplied thereto in a confused ofr are adflustably'nmunted'in o posedielart ion i disorderly manner. i V to each otheiy'szii'd hoppers being of o'pe'n so Apafti'culaily important object of suchnend'ed box -like fojrin gand preferablyadapted "device is the provision ofnoi el mechanical to extension in'lengthon-breadth as show-n.

means lor aligning', stacking and feeding Smc'e the details of' oonstfuction, arrangewooden strips 01 splines to position in animlnejn't of pants, and [operation of the two chine ofithe typei'efenecl 110 above,"}ferpresf-' hoppers age substantiallyidentical, the; f'urv sureinsei-tion into the opposed ke -fedor l llfil? deseriptlon ofis usingleghopp'efw'vi-ll-su'f I grooved edges of planking and: bo eir' dsyto fi fififbbtllx 1 u ifoi'ui. composite hoxgend oiffloior'pan'el sec- Opposed pz i'fallel ledgesofplatform slide 1 I lions, or to sl 'engthen fall'tlilQlllfUlCI-l the portionsi) are;:p1'0'vi' 'ilecl'= on th'e innei'livaljls f designed to replace the naiiow' spliiie ghoptously inclined i froni the hip brace 'tt't-he:

Th rinci al. object istoprovid'e" ans- 1+ estal and" Work pl'at'fjo fin "o'rgtable of fan zin- 76 seine, saidJnieans' for such purpose; being f the ho er, saidaledg'e's fleeing pr'e'cipi pei's heretofore employed, ther eby'elini-in al may, toward 't-hebettoin late oi w allflO ill/l ing' the lahorious' necessity for tcontinuthe frontfh'eieof;with theirlbweiiiiosfiehds ously and carefully feedinglhei same by spa'c'e'djadjacently-ep'artrfi oni -the Wall sons hand duringope-rat on:of thezzma'chi'nei toprovideanx nte 'vening g ipiii-passage an Simplicity in design, eliiciencyiinlOpel ,rherebgtw en, said' ends-'- beingreceding-1y i 'u'iion and inexpen'se in cost ofinzinufecture; beveled s-shown, fei e' ur ese \i'lii-ch i 'l are l'u ther.desidei'utawhich" have been hereinufleii:appear; Foiiitei'tlly exten'd he'l'nein mind in the production ofniy inicurved guide'plits .11 'aiefundilyingly see 7 I provedfeeding device 01 hopper;

' wi i e "m l ldil g y paced-E0131 news-1 10 in p :allel relation thereto, thus providing: a guideway or trough into which the splines or other articles deposited inJt-he hopper wlll drop oneupon the otherv in ordered arrange jment they are successively ted therethrongh Y An elongated plate 12 having a concave surface confronting the lowermostends of the ledges 9, is secured to the front wall 10 of the hopper, against "which the descending splines or articles must initially impinge and deflect against the curved guide-plates 11, to prevent upsetting andeause thesame to drop :nmformly in horizontal position as shown in Fig. 3.. The strips or articlesare 15 thus caused to staclrfievenly one: upon the other, w thout possibility of resting on edge or inleaning position against eithersideot 'the gnideway or trough, with consequent wedging or jammingof other strips or articles successively falling to place.

e Upwardly extending'parallel frame or guide-bars 13 are secured upon the inner opposed walls of the hopper in opposed linear- =inclination respectively to the ledges 9, said bars being intermediately bent or curved and extrementally beveled witnthe r lower por trons extended.downwardly in spaced par .allelrelationtosaidledges with which the bars thus form correspondinglyopposed constricting guidewaystor the spl nes orother I articles fed through the hopper; the re strictive spaee between inclined ledge and.

bar being only slightlygreater, than the standard; thickness of the articlestopermit free sliding movement or passage therethrougln An extensible brace-bar 14) is see cured betweenithe upper extremities of sa d guide-bars to strengthen and aid in hold ng O the latter rigidly in place. 4

, driven shaft-15 is supportingly I journaled in the side walls 'ot the hopper, said shaft bein fixedat oneeendwithjts; free" end pmjectin 'ly extended therethrough and proyided with a lrey'way to. permit spacingadjustment of the. extensible: hopper Walls and associated movable parts. An ordinary gear 16' is keyed toithe'fixed end of said i therewit I, p

' space or; gap therebetween being somewhat- Corshaftqfor imparting rotation thereto.

responding rotatable discs or-wlieels 17 are eooperantlykeyed in opposed relation upon 7 the shaft 15betweenthefhopper walls with their peripheries elevated above the plane of the inelinedledges 9, andpreferably-in line the intervening predetermined greater than the Q standardlthielrness of the splines or other artwles to'jbe' fed through ness the l 1opper, but less than donble the thick- '1 saine tokeyed, position on theshaftyand spaced radially pro ect ng nlbs or blunt-ended pins 18 are provided aronndithe peripha V aeries thereof, the distance the rebetween be-P 1 ring; 1. 55 than twice zthe eta-ecla tl- Width, 01.1

, "thereo {Hub portions areformed on said discs for convenience'ln ad usting the ,upon theledges 9 at ante; Jo'sed ii or anglethereto, i said I" r the. splines or other articles which are tobe fed through the hoppe'r,so that only one spline or article at a time, may occupy the space between eorresponding adjacent pins of the opposed discs. At diametrically opposite points substantially ninety degrees apart, the pins on the peripheries of said discs are slightly. longer than the inter- Vening pins their projected length however,- being insuflicient toprevent or permanently interrupt passageot splines or articles descending theincline' in properposition 'be tween the guicleeloars 13 and the ledges 9, but of a length suiiie ent to efi'ectually engage beneath anddislodge'sneh splines. or

articlesasmay tend to overcrowd and jam 1 111 the constricting passageway formed by said bars and ledges... Infthe illustrative eries of the discs I? have been shown some drawings; more-particularly in Fig. 3, the. 1 v

pins l8 extending radially from the peripln what exaggerated V in size with V relationYt-o other parts, in order that their relative 1305i;

tions and difierences"in-length may clearly appear, and in Fig. 8 therefore espeeialiy,

the, spaces momentarily remaining-" between the l extremities of said pins and: the ledges a 9, when the formerare moved perpendiem larly to the latterj may appear "lnsuifieient or toonarrowto'pernnt thev splines to move consecutive. Iline thereunder Pas indicated. In actual practice however,' the shorter pins are of a lengthsutficient to "ride' over they descending splines Without pushingthem up the incline-whereas thelon'ger pin'sareo1 a length sufficient toengage and briefly disturb or interrupt descent, only. of those splines that he immediately abovethe'point where such pins are momentarily perpen- 1 V The discs when re .JVOlVGChQl'G thus adapted to act as agitators, the spaced projectingpins thereon i'sucee'sdieular to said ledges.

'sively disturbing or engaging and inov ing the overcrowding splines or articles away; from the constricting passageway beneath,

the discs; to prevent jamming: otherwise causedhy splines or artieles tendingito su-f 'perposing'lycrowd into the mouth "oi' the I passage-way, the longer pins causing an in ternnttent, mpulse or kick? of greater for than the shorter pins thiis at'interyals, more efiiectually clearing the passage-way and fore in'g-"the splines or .-'-artieles to; suecessiyely spectiyely: overlying and normally said ledges thus forming a I 11121 A, rack ito pressupon and steadythe splines ora r are formed or fixed in the hub-portions o l'" t-h'e'discs 17 and adapted'to engage beneath the arms of. the yokeas said. discs are ire-V volved toelevate the same once during each.

revolution-rotv thetdiscs, thereby releasing several of the lowermost splines 01'; articles which may freely-descendthe incline toward the constricted passagesway, said yoke being in'in'rediately restored to normaL in clin'ed position with its armsi estingfupon the ledges, by: means of contractingsprings,'- 22 conveniently securedbetween its upper cross-ban and the bra'cesbar 14; .It will be' understood that, only a few splines. or arti-.

cles are released duringthe brief; intervals when said yoke 1s elevated above the ledges, j

althougha number sufficient to effect a continuous succession thereof on the incline be neat-h the discs, w llbeperiodically released.

. Spring-pressed ta-i'npers 4S having inward- 1y extended,- depending ta pfingers, adapted ticles stacked'one upon the other in the receptive trough, are'provi'ded on the front wall of'the'hopper at opposite' sides thereof, said tampers being intermittently raised to permit the descending articles "to fall suc-' cessively in place, by means of cams 24,- the latter being eccentrically 'keyed "upon the shaft 15 and adapted liftingly toengage un,

der the inwardly extended arni-portions25 of said tampers, Which-are reciprocallyn iovablebetween guides 26 securedupon the hop per Walls.

Rotation the dra'win s, Qby meansot a driven shaft 2? arranged at substantially right angles thereto upon: which gears 28in mesh with the gears 16 of. said shaftsare=.l eyed,'the shaft 27. being provided with; a-key-way permittingispaced adjustment oi; its gears thereon and I journaled" 1n bearings carried by bracketsQQ fixed to the hopper i'vialls. Said shaftis, conveniently drivenvfrom the main shaftQSO' by means oft a sprocket Cllfl' lll lf passing over. a sprocket wheel keyeuupon I 1 one end thereof. V i In the present illustration, the splines are euceessivelyi ed or discharged from the hopper by means ofpush plates-32 described in 1 my patent hereinbefore' mentioned, said plates beingperiodically actuated to engage and press the lowermost splines: trom .each

hopper into the opposed corresponding grooves of boards or alank ng to form composite panel's-or sections of. parqu et floering' and bog-ends, although: any-"preferred a v l n'o l= mited to use QH'THEIClIlHGS 0t I 'acterreierredto and the articles fed thereby inay be rem'oved successivelyor collectively I to the s e 'th'e cooperant hoppe shown y Fig-m1 0t low means of discharge "on rem'o'v" ployed as my 'nnproi-ve 1: we v. .7 device is the char as desired, the device being applicable to use in stacking and feedingvarious articles such as COIDS, packa es of cheW1n-ggum,,c1garet tes, candy the like.

1 From the foregoing description, it will be:

understood that I have provided a simple 7 and eiiicient feeding device, or hopper, into .w'liiehflarticlesmay b'eiloosely deposited or tln o "without gardto order, and disi on theotherfor thegpurpose herein set iorth, packingjin cartons, boxesointhe like, and since numerous changes-may b'e'inade in the details oifizconstruction: and,- arrangement of" 1)-. ts withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention, 1 do not desire to be limited by theappended claims, toj'the'spec'ific structure "or purpose hereinbefo're illu's- 7.

trated and described;

ed: .thoreiro 1'" in ordered arrange-ment or forieo'l'lectiv e removal 'priorto,

' I-Iavingthiis described my invention, what I claiiinaas new and desirete. secure ters Patent of the United States is:

*1. An article teeding device comprising a receiver 'or boX-like form'"having{interior guide-plates dependingly "secured at the lower-ends of said slideWays in spaced relation to the front Wall of the receiver. to form a trough therewith; up-

inclined slideivays "weirdly extending guide bars secured with their lower end portions'in parallel spaced relation to said slideways and iorming a constricted passageway therewith; a driven shai tjournaledin the-wa-lls of said rreceiver'z, opposed disc's rotatably mounted ;on said shaft with their peripheries,above thelevel of said slide vfays and provided with spaced l radially: projecting pins ofqdiii erent lengths, the longer ofjsa d pins being' adapted to engage "below and momentarily prevent articles su'c'eessivel descendin the 's-lide wa' s beheath said discs andjthe-shorter of saidlpin's being adaptedfltol prevent overcrowding of articles intosaid constricted passageway; a pivot; shaft: a .yolte rockingly mounted thereon; and, cam elements intern 'ttently :engageable witl'r said yoke for actuatiiug'the same: 1

"ways fixed injjopposing inner wallsthereof;

curved guide-plates, secured. at the lower eud'suof said slidewavs in dependin Spaced relation to the front all of" 1y extending ion their eo and'ior *A feeding device comprising in comb} nation; an extensible open-ended receiver of box-likeform, having parallel incl ned sl dei (l; receiver to r iorm as-str-icking trough therewith; uptivard- 3 ui d-eibars seemed in, opposed, i inclinationato "said; slideivay-s fwith their f. en c port ons-inlspacedparallel relaining corresponding opon'saidshaft with their peripheries'above thelevel of said slideways and provided with spaced ;ra'd1ally; projecting pins; a fixed sha t't' substantially'parallel to said driven shaft; a yokeframe rockingly secured thereon in opposed inclination to said slideways; andcain elements movablewith said discs adapted for engagement nn'dersaid yokenam to intermittently lift and rock the same. A a 7 f3. An article teedingdevice comprising :anopen receiver of box-like form having inclined slidwa s arranger. interlorly. there-H of; I curved guide-plates secured at the lower ends of said slideways in depending spacedrelation to the front wall of sa'ill rec'eiver to form an. artlcle stacking trough. there with; upwardly 'extending guise-bars secured in opposed inclination to said slideways with their. lower end portions in par- "able with sald discs and intermittently en,-

alielspaced relation thereto and itorming a; constricting article, passage-way therew th a d-riVen' shatt transversely JOlllXlfilCllll the 1 walls of said receiver; opposed;discs keyed on said shaft with thelr 'perlph'enes above A. v 41 I 1 .I

Lhe leveloi said slide-ways and prov ded with spaced radially projectingagitatorpins; a 'rocking-shaft arranged substantially parallel to said driven shaft; a yoke-frame" 'mounted thereon; and cam elements :mov-

aging beneath 'saidyok -e-framej to lift and rockthe same.

'4; An article feeding and stacking device comprising in combination,-

an 1 extensible ;.open-ended reee1ver of box-like formhav- "ing" parallel downwardly inclined slide ledgessecur-ed' on opposing inner I I walls there of; curved guide-plates subjacentlyl secured on the lowermost" ends of said ledges in spaced depending relation'to I the from f wall of said receiver to form an article stacking trough therewith upwardly extending I guide-bars secured inopposed lineal inclinaribs to said ledges with'their lower endportionsinspaced parallel relation thereto and forming correspondingly opposed. constrict- I fin-g guide-ways for. the articles therebe tween; a driv'en'shaft transverselyjournalcd in the walls of, said receiver; opposed disc's: mountedon said shaft wlth thelr. per1pheriesabo've the level of said-ledgesand'pro,

' vided with spaced radially extcnded agitat- 'ing pins below'which the articles may suc- "cessively descend the incline inshorizontal positionthereon; a fixedshaftsubstantiallyparallel "tofs'aid' driven shaft; a yoke-frame roelringly securedthereon in op'posec'lf;in-v elination to saidledges with its arms noranally resting thereupon and canr elements mentunder .said "yoke-framefto "intermitearriedfby said discs adapted for engage-n I II II g above and substantially; parallel to said aways. for the articles therebetween rsvaaoa tentl lift the same .a 'ainst s 'rin action D b i with its arms above the level of said ledges;

thereby periodically releasing several ofthe articles restrained there-above. i.

5. An article feeding and stacking'device comprising in combination, van extensible V open-ended receiver of box-like form havingarticle passage-ways provided'on opposed inner walls thereof; .a stacking' trough'subr parallel downwardly inclined constricting,

jacent the discharge'ends ofsaid passage ways; opposeddisc-wheels rotatably mounted on said shaft with their peripheries *wayseinto which the articles may succes'ei QSlVGly drop one upon the-other; a driven shalt transversely 'journaled in the walls of the receiverabove the plane of said passage- 6 spaced abovetlie plane of said passageways} topermit passage of the articles thereunder; spaced radially extended-agitating pins fixed in the peripheries of said disc-wheels below when the articles may descend the passageways only in succession therein; a stationary siiaft fi'xed' on the walls of said receiver above said driven shaft and substantially parallel thereto; a yok-e trame. rockingly mounted thereon 1n opposed inclination to i intermittently lift the, same against spring action wlt-h its arms above said guideways f to pe''riodically 1 release articles restrained} 1 9 thereabove; and means for removingfthe articles stackedinsaidtroughQ j I )6. An article feeding and stacking device comprising in combination, an extensible a a openendedhopperfhaving. parallel downwardly inclined slideel'e'dges provided on 0p posed inner walls thereof; curved guides; plates subjacently secured "tothe lower ends] 1 of said ledges in 'dependingi spacejd p arall'el rel ationto'" the front wall: of "the hopperf and forming an article stacking 'ough therewith; a rebound-plate secured. upon the front wall offlthe hopper against'which the' siidin articles will initiall imoineeF u t: .v i u 7 wardly extended guide-bars secured at op-i lower end portions curved backwardly'in posed inclinationto said ledges lwithitheir spaced parallel relation thereto andiorining opposed corresponding constricte shaft "journaled transversely in the walls of d; guide: driven said hopper; opposed cooperant disc-wheels mounted i on said shaft with their periph eries above the plane io'f said ledges and pro y vided with spaced radially eirtended agitat ingspins' below whi h the articles may do:

.scend the inclined ledgesonly in succession I and in -horizontal position tliereongja jstationary shaft-1 fixed- ,on the Y hopper walls 5 i driven shaft; a yoke-frame reckingly secured thereon 1n opposed 1ncl1nat10n to sald ledges with extended arm-portlons normally resting thereupon and formingan article restraining rack therewith; cam'elements carried by sa1d disc-Wheels adapted for engagement under said yoke-frame to' intermittently lift the same against spring actiolr with its arms above said ledges to peri odically release articles restrained thereabove; and means for removing the articles ERNEST STUART DANIELS. 

